A Girl of Blue and Black
by KuriousKat256
Summary: Emily Jane was not the only daughter of Pitch. She had a twin sister, Kara Rose. When their home was attacked and their family shattered, Kara was cared for by a special man dressed in white. She finally met death and was resurrected as a spirit. She'll find that being the offspring of cold and darkness just might reunite her with the family she's missed for so long, maybe more?
1. The End?

Kara Rose Pitchiner

After her home had been raided by the Dream Pirates, her father, General of the Golden Army, had left to defend her, her twin sister, and her mother, as well as their estate. Her whole life she had been a quiet, simple, and shy child, but her parents never loved her any less. Still, her twin sister, Emily Jane, always managed to seal their attention by being wild and joyful, constantly trying to be like their father, ultimately making her the favored child, at least in her mind. Kara looked up to her father and loved him to no end, in which she expressed by making him paintings and singing to him when he was home. Her father adored his dear Kara, but rarely got to give her the attention she deserved because of his duty as general and his energy filled other daughter: Emily Jane. He always felt bad for Kara, but always managed to bring her a little "treasure," back from battles which she kept in a secret box beneath her bed. Kara's life had never seen a downside, except from her personality, until one raid made by the Dream Pirates. A small band of them, nothing her father couldn't handle, attacked their home. She, her mother, and Emily Jane had begun to make the way to the basement. Her mother and Emily Jane had already rounded the corner, and just as she was about to, one of the Dream Pirates materialized out of nowhere and swung his black sword at her. Kara's face dodged the blade, but not so much of the next attack. A whip of black sand shot out and sliced along her throat. It didn't hit anything life threatening, but it did hit and damage her vocal chords to the point where the could no longer speak. Her father had showed up right after the pirate's fatal attack, but upon seeing Kara, felt a pool of guilt rise up in him. Kara had been taken care of and healed until she could do things on her own again. Unfortunately, a nasty scar was left across Kara's neck, constantly reminding her father of how her was unable to reach his daughter in time, costing her, her voice, and making her an even quieter child. This wasn't the only effect it had on her father. Now, he made sure that Kara was always under the watch of someone, that her doo was locked at night, as well as her windows. Her father became rather strict with the injury incident, and wouldn't allow her to come outside without his consent. In that case, Kara rarely to never came out of her bedroom. It was her safe haven now; her best friend. Her father made sure that no Dream Pirate could enter the room, yet if there happened, just happened, to be another attack, there was a special chute that she could escape through, where it lead to the edge of the estate. It bothered her that her father blamed himself so much for her new disability to speak, that she was afraid to be around him, since he never let her do anything on her own anymore. Due to this, she remained in her room almost every day. She found ways to entertain herself by painting her walls with he constellations of the stars that her sister sailed so often in her littler schooner. She was fairly jealous of Emily Jane, but she simply took it out in her paintings and made them into her thoughts and feelings. Eventually, her life story was woven into her paintings, but she never let her family see them.

TIME LAPSE:  
All had been as normal as possible in Kara's life and she had become rather content with not being able to speak. She could yell out words and scream at the top of her lungs, but not a sound would come out. Just as she had begun to get used to this new style of life, everything was turned upside down. The Dream Pirates returned but with a number men equaled to a small army. Her father, of course, left to go and fight off the threat with some others, while her mother and sister were trying to find a means of safe escape. Kara didn't have to think twice when it came to escaping. Yet, just to her luck, the chute passage wouldn't open. In that case, Kara decided that an injury was better than death and ran into the glass window, instantly shattering it and falling from the second story. When she landed, she managed to twist her ankle and break her wrist, but she bigger problems to face. So she sucked in the pain, sought out the courage and ran. As fast as she possibly could to the very edge of the estate, where she came to a halt. There was no where else to go. She could keep running, but she'd wind up back at the estate. In that case she decided, well not really, to just sit there and wait for fate to catch up with her. She didn't know even if her sister and mother survived, so she saw to real reason to keep living. The sounds of feet could be heard , so she braced herself for the worst. The sounds got closer, but when the pirates emerged, they didn't turn out to be pirates at all. Kara didn't dare open her eyes, in fear of seeing her killer, but instead of a cold sword blade on her shoulder, she felt a warmth. This surprised her, causing her eyes to snap open and face the owner of the warming sensation. She came to find something, or one, that she'd never expected to see in all of her existence. Standing boldly in front of her was a small man with just a single curl of hair upon his head. He was completely dressed in white clothing from head to toe and wore a bright smile upon his face. The most peculiar thing about this figure was the white light that emitted from all around him. Kara knew this character more that she even knew herself. She had seen him in her dreams, but never spoken to him, just had tea parties and conversations with pictures and hand gestures, due to her lack of voice. The entity never had shared his name with her, but Kara felt the trusting vibe that he gave off, and immediately trusted him. So when he offered her his hand, she didn't hesitate to grab hold of it, even if she didn't know where he would take her, or his intentions. Nonetheless, she felt safe with this man in white, her savior, and let him lead her away from her near death.

The Man in White, as called by Kara, took her to his home, on the small moon orbiting the planet Earth. Kara was welcomed with open arms by the man's family. She quickly became part of his family and lived with them, though it was unknown to her that she was on a moon. Her injuries healed over time, except her voice of course, and she was back on her feet, and enjoying her new life.

SMALL TIME LAPSE:  
Kara was only fourteen when time repeated itself, and her new home was attacked by the Dream Pirates, with a new leader this time. She was hidden away in a small space below the estate, while they went to defend their home alone. They wouldn't allow Kara to fight, due to her past experiences with the Pirates, which none of them wished for her to go through again. From her hiding space, she fully believed she was safe, for once, until a large piece of the estate came crashing through, allowing the intruders access to her. She scrambled out of the wreckage, a little beat up, but well enough to walk. The sight before her absolutely crushed her heart. Black sand covered the premises. _Wait? Black SAND? _Dream Pirates were everywhere, attacking by the lot. Kara was jumped by a Nightmare, the steads of the Pirates. It surprised her, but she was able to defend herself rather well and defeated the Nightmare. After that small battle, she felt stronger, braver, like she could take on a whole army..._this army._

Her foster family was being attacked by more Pirates and Nightmares than they could handle. One after another, they perished, a finishing blow by an unknown source finishing them. It all happened so suddenly, and right before her eyes as well. The hatred she felt towards the Pirates and whomever was commanding them, welled deeply within her. She now felt nothing but anger, hatred, and the crave for revenge. She felt like the "coldest," person in the world. With his back turned, Kara caught sight of the pirate who had killed her foster family. With no thought at all, she picked up the closest object she could reach: a sword from a fallen pirate, and ran at the killer. As she got closer, she realized that the killer wasn't a pirate, but a...human maybe? Knowing that she could never bring herself to kill an actual human, she stopped dead in her tracks, only a few feet away from him. Still, the anger and want for revenge boiled inside her, so instead she raised her fists at the man, aiming for his head. Yet, before she could lay a finger on him, she felt a sudden searing pain in her lower abdomen. It felt like the air, every ounce of it, had been taken away from her and she couldn't breathe. With wide eyes, she glanced down to see the cause of the pain. What she found caused her heart to race...and then pause. There, sticking straight through her was the sword she had grabbed earlier, then dropped in order to use her fists. Without thinking, Kara let out a blood curdling scream, she didn't know she withheld, as tears rolled over her eyes. The killer she was about to attack, turned around with a cold and evil glare on his face, but when he saw Kara and the sword impaling her, his eyes widened in horror. Feeling a jerk, then a immediate emptiness, Kara knew the sword had been pulled from her body. Looking up, she tried to make out the face of the man she was about to attack, but all she could see were blurs, due to the rapidly falling tears.

The man just stood and stared at the girl before him, not believing his eyes.  
_How could she still be alive? Her mother was dead, her sister missing, and he had been transformed into a monster; the King of Nightmares.  
_No words came out of his mouth as he watched his second daughter be killed right before him, by his own army of nightmares.

Kara felt a sudden coldness wash over her as she collapsed on her knees, then to her side. A white streak flashed across her vision, and she knew the Man in White had finally come. Just a bit too late. Nothing needed to be done or forced, as the Man in White approached, fury in his eyes. The King of Nightmares called off his army, ordering them to leave(heading for Earth). Before he left, he took once last glance at the limp and dying body that had once been his loveable daughter, Kara Rose. He turned to leave, holding back a tear that threatened to spill over, before leaving to drown in his guilt and hatred for what he'd become.

Kara could feel the life slowly leaving her body, as the Man in White leaned over her crying. He continued to silently sob, as he carried his last family member's body to the shattered remains of his home. He took her body to a special room, closed off from the rest of the estate, that held the once thing that could possibly save her life. In the room, there was nothing but a simple tree, a hollow one at that. The tree was meant to sustain any life form for any period of time and even heal a dying one. Placing her body in the tree, the bark slowly became coated in a thin layer of ice and the room became overrun by shadows. As the tree sealed her body in its hollows, Kara took her last breathes, but managed to smile once more at the Man in White who had saved her once from oblivion and allowed her another chance at life. She was a bit disappointed that she didn't get to do all the things that she wanted to, but in truth she was beyond grateful for the simple life that she had been gifted to live.

-End of Kara Rose's human life  
-Dying age: 14  
-Period of sleep: 500 years


	2. A New Kind of Life(and a new voice)

**The first chapter with Kara as a spirit! She's new to the whole "you have to have believers to be seen," thing and doesn't quite like it. So she takes to exploring the world and discovering her new powers over ice and shadows. Fortunately, she is able to speak again now, due to being in the tree for 500 years.(not sure if that's a good thing or not. should she remain mute?)  
Ideas welcome(and really needed)!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or plots from Rise of the Guardians, only Kara Rose and her story.**

She's woken up as a spirit after 500 years of sleep and isn't sure of the world around her. Finding she can speak again thrills her, and she's curious how it happened, but there's no one to share it with, since she's not believe in. She is now the spirit of all things absolutely cold, feelings and objects alike. Alongside her icy powers, hence her name, are her powers to manipulate the shadows and darkness around her, just as her father. She isn't sure of what side to chose between helping the children of the world and maybe even being believed in(she's like a female version of Father Winter) or continuing to wander around as an unseen spirit and just do her job. What she is unaware of is that both her sister, Emily Jane or better known as Mother Nature, and father, the Nightmare King, Pitch Black are still alive.

While she was busy wandering the earth and discovering her new powers, she stumbled across her father's lair, unintentionally, underneath a broken bed stand. Following the faint sounds of horse hooves, she ventured deeper until she hit rock bottom. Brushing herself off and standing up, she found that she was now in what seemed to be an underground cavern, and a big one at that. There were cages, bird cages maybe, hanging from the ceiling, but there was nothing in them. Strangely, all the hallways and paths led to a dead end each time. What mesmerized her the most had to do with none of the dark corners though. What caught her attention was the large, metal globe in the middle of the room. It was black, just as everything was, and it was dotted with thousands, maybe millions, of golden specks. She was so drawn to it and began to circle the globe, inspecting the specks as they flickered and shone. _"Who could own such an amazing object? And why live down here, all alone?" _she questioned to herself. It was such a wondrous place to her, that she was disappointed that no one was there to take care of it. Though it was underground, the whole place seemed to be fairly clean and organized.

"Hellooooo," Kara called out, hoping to meet the owner of the fascinating globe.

No response.

"Is anyone there?" she called again.

Still no response.

"I'm sorry for intruding, but this place was so intriguing that I just had to check it out," she called out to the blackness.

Again, there was no response, just stone silence. She began to believe that this place really was abandoned, and in that case she'd take up the unsaid offer to claim it. She was so happy and excited that she began to leap from cage to cage, laughing and leaving ice anywhere she touched. Her ice created beautiful patterns across the colorless cavern, adding hues of light blue and dark blue to the picture. Her leaping became more and more careless, causing the cages to bang loudly together and the shadows to waver, though she paid no heed to these incidents. Unbeknownst to her, was that there was a stranger watching closely from the shadows, waiting for the right time to approach her. This person just happened to be her father, whom was utterly speechless that his other daughter was alive as well. What surprised him more, was that she possessed the same powers as his worst enemy, Jack Frost, though hers seemed to be more powerful and extensive. He didn't want to startle her and lose her like he did Emily Jane, so he just waited for the right time to come out. She seemed to be having so much fun, so he just spent the next moments watching her and listening to her tinkling laugh ring off the walls. Her father, though as much fun as he was having, knew it was no or never to approach her and tell her everything, before she decide to leave out of boredom, like so many people had before.

Kara, on the other hand, hadn't become even a bit bored of her newly discovered favorite place. She did tire though, her limbs beginning to ache and give out on her. Finally, she landed on the ground, next to the globe and collapsed on her bottom. Taking in deep breaths of air, she smiled for the first time in forever, a real, true smile. Ever since she'd become a spirit, she never found any joy in it and wished she could return to the life she had before this. Maybe with the Man in White? Or maybe even her real family.

Another shadow swept across the room, but this time it didn't leave. It cased the room in complete darkness, leaving Kara to wander blindly around, to try and find a source of light or something that would allow her to see. She wandered aimlessly looking for some source of brightness that would light up the room. Nothing came into contact with her wandering hands, so she simply gave to walking around, hoping that she wouldn't run into something. Unfortunately, she did run into something, but it wasn't a concrete wall like she'd expected it to be. Instead, whatever she had run into was clothed, in a soft material, namely black, she didn't need to see to know that. Whatever she had bumped into it was enough of a collision to make her fall back on her bottom. She heard whatever she had bumped into, move swiftly around the room, stopping every now and then only to continue moving quickly around the room. _What is IT doing? Watching me or something? What in the world am I supposed to do when I can't see a single thing in this cave?! Whatever that thing is I hope it's friendly..._

"Hellooooo? Anybody there?" she called into the darkness.

No response, again.

"C'mon," she whined. "Just show yourself already."

The movement continued, but still no response.

Kara wondered if the creature, or whatever it was, was scared of her or something. Maybe she came off a little brash, coming in without an invitation and everything. The ice crystals might've spooked it too. Nonetheless, the 'thing,' definitely had a hold over her in this darkness. But who would spend so much time in the dark? It's so...scary, and creepy, and...black. Was there anyone else down here to keep the owner company? Maybe, if she was able to come off at a new approach, something might come out of it.

"Uh...hey there. Ya know, if you...um, come out of...wherever you are...we could, uh, maybe talk or something," she offered, but to no avail.

"I lost my family too ya know. I had a mother, loving and caring, as well as extremely beautiful. My sister's name was Emily Jane. And my father...Well my father, he was the greatest there was. Kind and loving, yet brave and courageous too. One night these...things attacked our home and I tried to escape on my own. I don't know what happened to my mother and sister, but I know that my father never returned from battle."

There was a moment of silence.

"A man in white came and took me to his home where he let me live with his family. They loved me like their own daughter and became my second family. No one could replace the family I had once had. When I was fourteen the same things that took my first family attacked again. The man in white hid me in a secret space where I was supposed to be safe, but the dark soldiers, as I called them, found me. I saw the man in charge of the raid and tried to attack him, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I was to much a coward. My cowardly act was all it took for one of the dark soldiers to stab me...straight through my stomach. There's still a scar there even. The man in charge turned to face me but I couldn't see his face, and with a whoosh of shadows he was gone. Everything else was a blur, and all I can remember is being put into a place of cold and darkness, nothing more," she confessed.

_Why in the world was I telling this to it? It probably wasn't even listening. But it did feel good to 'get it all out," and stuff. Even if whomever I was speaking to didn't have a body or voice. It just felt good for someone to...know what it felt like. The pain and loss that I suffered at the hands of those dark soldiers. If I could've done something then I would've, but I was too weak and afraid. I could've done something! Just if I wasn't so afraid..._

* * *

**_I couldn't believe she was still alive. After all this time, my little girl, Kara, was still alive and well. A spirit, but still well. She hadn't changed a bit since the day the Dream Pirates attacked. Of course I had left to defend my family, but never planned on the eventual outcome. My wife died, falling to her death, Emily escaped, I don't know how. And Kara, I had never known what had happened to Kara. She was so fragile and afraid of anything that would go bump in the night. But in the end she somehow escaped, I do know that, because I encountered her again shortly after. _**

**_She had been taken by the Man on the Moon the night of the raid and put in his care. He welcomed her with open arms, as did his family. Kara fit in perfectly with the family, better than her own, and acted like nothing had ever been taken from her in the first place. _**

**_The night of the raid I had been unaware of her presence in Manny's home, but that didn't last long at all. Manny and his family put up quite a fight, but in the end his family perished and he was the only one left standing. Kara had come at me with a sword in hand, but stopped short for a reason unknown, and just stood there, staring. Eventually, her scream broke through the air as I turned to see my daughter's body impaled upon a sword from one of the pirates. She looked up at me with glossed eyes and then fell to the ground. I couldn't believe what had happened, and that she had actually still been alive. I left in a rush, unable to bear the sight of my only other daughter dying by my doings and left to earth. There was where the Dark Ages began and the terror and hatred that had welled over the years was taken out on the believers of creatures of the night. _**

**_Now Kara was standing here in front of me, unharmed and safe. Of course she'd been turned into a spirit, but she was still Kara nonetheless. She looked no different and acted a bit bolder. I was too ashamed to show myself to her and only watched her from the shadows, but after she shared the same story I had lived when our home was attacked, I had to confront her. She had turned to leave, but I stopped her in her tracks. _**


	3. It's Been Too Long

**This chapter starts off where the previous one ended. Kara might take on the name Icy, just because she'd rather others not know that she's the Nightmare King's daughter. She will eventually reunite with her sister, but when their differences collide(such as their powers)...  
Suggestions are always welcome!  
**

After I had finished confessing my past to the darkness before me I was beyond patience. I had waited and waited, even confessed my deepest secrets to it, but still the thing in the shadows won't show it's cowardly self. I just couldn't-no wouldn't-stand for it anymore. But just as I was about to turn to continue my wandering through the darkness, I heard a voice.

"Wait," the voice called after me, seeming distant.

When I heard that voice I could've sworn I'd heard it before. Like it had belonged to someone I had known in another life. I just couldn't place my finger on it. Maybe from a dream or something?

"Who's there?" I asked for the third time maybe.

Instead of replying to me, the figure in the shadows came out. The darkness that had once plagued the area disappeared and allowed the cavern to return to its former self. I was standing by the globe again, but there was something different. Across from the globe was a figure, cloaked in black with pale grey skin. It was definitely a male, with his physique, but didn't seem like others. He was staring at the ground, not facing me, but somehow I knew he had been the one to call out to me. I mean, there obviously wasn't anyone else here, right?

"You called?" I asked slashed whispered.

The figure didn't lift its head, but I could tell that he was surprised to hear my voice.

"You stayed," he inquired, like he'd expected me to be able to find my way out in the darkness that had once coated the room.

_That voice. I just couldn't place it. I know I've heard it before. I know I have. Who else has been there? I know it wasn't mother, her voice was sweet and melodic. It definitely wasn't Emily Jane, she was too peppy and young. And then there was...no...it couldn't be...he'd never returned...how could he? That's impossible..._

I was so in shock, as I began to step back into the darkness, that I barely noticed the uneven paving as I tumbled and fell on my bottom. The voice called out to me again.

"Wait Kara," it repeated, and I could hear the swishing of his robes as he came closer.

_Now I definitely knew it was him. No spirit that I had come across, that could see me, had ever known my name without me telling them. All I could do now was accept the fact that he was still here and in good health. I just had to hope that he hadn't changed much since that fateful night..._

I knew I couldn't just collapse into his arms like nothing had ever happened and I was still his little rose again. I had to confront him, question him. What in the world happened after I'd been taken away and he was left to fight off the Pirates.

_Did he win? No, he couldn't have. No one wins a battle against an unbeatable force just to end up like...this. Was mother and Emily Jane still alive? I did miss them so. Maybe they had been turned into a spirit like me?  
_

The figure, I now knew was my long missed father, stepped back out of the shadows, his head still facing the floor.

"Why don't you look me in the eye?" I questioned.  
"Shame," was the only one word answer that I got in return.  
"What's there to be ashamed off?" I was confused now.  
"I let you all down. Your mother. Your sister...You," he replied, trying to step back into the shadows.  
"Please don't leave. You didn't let me down. Or any of us. I'm safe and well. I don't know about mother Emily Jane, but wherever they are I'm sure they're not ashamed of you. You fought for us. And besides, I missed you...father," I finished, hesitating on the last word, unsure of how he'd react to it.

His gaze finally shot up from its place at the floor and stared right at me. When his eyes met mine I could see that besides the complexion of his skin and his clothes, my father hadn't changed one bit. No words were spoken between the two of us for what seemed to be forever, so I started again.

"I really did miss you. I missed all of you. But I was safe, and I still am now," I told him, hoping he'd say something back.

He didn't reply and returned his gaze to the ground. When he did so, I was hurt. For so long I had wandered this planet, searching for some kind of sign that would give me meaning. Nothing had shown up for another two years and I was beginning to give up on myself. That was until I stumbled upon this cavern and discovered my father. I knew things wouldn't, and couldn't be the same as they were when we were humans, but I missed him so much that none of that had mattered. When he didn't reply truthfully to anything that I had asked him, I was a bit annoyed. But when he turned away from me, after the confession I had made to him, I broke all over again. The pain in my chest was growing rapidly, just like the crystal tears in my eyes. I could feel my face heating up with the embarrassment of the one-sided conversation before, and my knees began to buckle.

"Why? Why father? I have been alone for so long, too long! You didn't fail us! Why can't you just come back to me? I have no one anymore! No one! And know, just when I discover that one of the most important people in my life is still alive, they turn me away! How could you?" I yelled, hot tears streaming down my face.

My father was shocked at my sudden outburst, and lifted his head again to look at me. His golden colored eyes bore through me with an intensity I couldn't describe. My vision was blurry and I could barely see the movements that were being made by my father's figure in front of me. I figured that he'd left, again, to wallow in his self guilt. Yet, just as I felt my knee give way, two strong arms wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me back into a slight coldness, but it was relaxing nonetheless. The wracks of sobs caught in my throat as I felt someone catch me. My breathing was slightly labored, and my body weak, I could barely feel my own limbs. Still, I wriggled my body to face the figure that had suddenly caught me, only to come face to face with my father once more.

"Father?" I asked, wondering if this was just something my mind had made up to comfort me.  
"Shhh Kara. You're tired," his voice was calm and cooling.  
"Bbbbut...I...I don't get tired," I protested in the most collected voice I could.  
"But you do and you are Kara," my father argued, hugging me closer to him.

When he brought me closer to him, his arms tightening around me, I couldn't help but give in to him. Turning my head, I rested it on his chest, letting my tears dry and my intakes of air even out. I let my arms rest on top of his own, grasping tightly, so that he couldn't disappear again. He didn't object to that, just continued to hold me like when I was little. I missed him so, so, so, so much. It's not that I didn't love my mother and my sister either, but there had always be something different about my father. He understood me better than anyone, even with my quiet and enclosed personality. When he'd left again to fight those god forsaken pirates, I worried terribly about him, but had no other space to think about it, alongside escaping. But now that I'd had learned that he was still here, a bit different, but still here, I was all but living in reality. Now that I had found him I wasn't going to let go. Everything was going to be as it should be. Even if we weren't all together, I'd learned that sometimes the smallest things in the world are the most important.

I felt myself being lifted off my feet and pulled into the shadows. The darkness only made me more tired, but before I could fully drift off, I felt my body being placed on something soft. A bed maybe? It didn't matter to me, I just needed some rest. I felt my father lightly kiss my forehead, like he used to every night. I could only smile.

"Goodnight my rose," I heard him whisper, as he left the room  
"Goodnight father," I replied lazily.

The door clicked closed, and I could finally feel myself slip off into the dreamless sleep that I waited for so long to have.


	4. To Break All Over Again

The next morning, or at least I assumed to be, but since I was in a underground cave I couldn't tell. Nonetheless, I sat up, feeling a bit groggy, and taking a look around. I was still in the same place, the bed my father had placed me on the night before.  
When I thought of my father, everything that happened the day before came rushing back and I shot up swerving my head back and forth. Was everything a dream? Did I really see my father? Or was it all just me making things up with my mind again? I hoped not.

So, to make sure, I threw the tightly wrapped covers off of my body and rapidly began to look for a door out of this room. I had to know if my father was really still alive. My heart was already broken knowing that I might never see him again, but thinking that I might've seen him last night and now don't know where he is hurt even more.  
I searched all over the room, trying to find a way out, but I just couldn't find a door. If there wasn't a door, then how did I get in here in the first place? None of this made sense, but then again, as a spirit, not much made sense anymore.

I knew that I couldn't give up on trying to get out of this darn room, otherwise I'd never get even close to escaping. None of my continuous searching proved to be successful and soon enough I began to panic. I'd never been good with closed spaces in the first place, but normally I had the gut to suck it up and find a logical way out. This time though, everything was different. There truly was no way out of this place. Tears began to form in the corners of my eyes, threatening to fall over the edge any time then. All of my limbs began to quiver and I couldn't do anything to stop them. Nor was there anything or one here to make them stop or provide me with a tad bit of comfort. Right now, that was all I wanted.

I wanted to be held.  
I wanted to be told everything was going to be okay.  
I wanted to be noticed.  
I wanted to be remembered.  
I wanted to have meaning and purpose.  
But most of all, I wanted my father.

Eventually, the ever present shadows and lack of exit became too much for me, and my mind was beginning to play tricks on me. I had hoped that this would never happen again. It had happened once when I was small, able to speak and human, and I was in the garden when I accidentally tripped and fell into a small, but deep ditch that was meant to be for the new seeds that my mother was going to plant. For hours on end, I cried and wailed and screamed for someone to come and help me, but no one ever came to my rescue. Eventually, my voice became tired and I laid down, finally accepting that no one was going to come. That was, until I heard my father calling for me in the distance, sounding frantic and worried. I screamed for him, using the rest of my voice, until he found me and scooped me up and out of my temporary prison, holding me tightly in his arms. That night, I had cried and sobbed, never letting go of my father, afraid that I might fall somewhere else and be trapped once again. My father promised me that I would never be stuck in such a situation again and I believed him with all of my heart. He always knew how to make me feel better and completely safe.  
Now that I was here, a spirit, stuck in a doorless room with shadows creeping up and down the walls, and now way out, I felt like I was stuck in that ditch again. And before I knew it, I was screaming for my father. I knew that he most likely wouldn't show up, but I couldn't help the fact that I was craving his comforting ways and embrace.  
My voice was still raspy a bit from being unused, but that no where near stopped me from continuing to call hopefully for my father. The tears were now streaming down my face and I couldn't do a thing to stop them. I felt like such a little girl again. Helpless and unable to do anything right.

Eventually, my voice had become like sandpaper again, but I just couldn't stop screaming for my beloved father. I was knelt on the ground, sobbing, my nose running and my body shaking with wracks of fright.

"FATHER! PLEASE!" I screeched, sobbing harder and harder.  
Still no sign of my savior.  
"I NEED YOU! HELP ME!" My voice had almost completely died now.  
No response once again.  
"WHYYYYYY?" I wailed long and hard, giving up on trying to find any way out of this unintentional prison.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Hours, though it felt like forever, passed by like molasses from a jar. It was clear to me now that no one, especially not my father, was coming for me. That confirmed to me that last night was only a dream and that I had probably wandered into this place then never been able to find a way out. None of that sounded logical in any way, but it was all that I had to go with.

My throat felt like sandpaper and nails, so bad that I couldn't even muster a single noise without feeling excruciating pain in my throat and head. I guess this is what you get when you try to search for the lost ones you loved most.  
I shook my head at how silly I felt, thinking that my dead family was still alive. I was ridiculous. An excuse for a spirit. I should've never survived that attack. Not again. Nor should I had accepted the Man In White's hand. It was all foolishly thought through, without thinking of the consequences.

My head was still pounding with an flaming headache and my body felt weak and so very breakable. I was vulnerable. Once again. Everything seemed so pointless and pathetic at the time, and I could feel my eyelids beginning to droop closed. I knew that they weren't closing from being tired. They were closing from being worn out again by being a darn spirit. I didn't want to feel so weak again, and I kept forcing my head back up to look around and make sure that I was still in the same place. I was. And I probably forever would be.

Yet, before I could continue to wallow in my self pity and negative feelings, I heard an oddly familiar whooshing noise and a sudden gasp.

"KARA!" a raspy, male voice cried, moving towards me.

My head jerked up at the sudden mention of my name, looking through bleary and weary eyes to try and identify the figure. It sounded like my father again, but I had been through that situation with myself already, and confirmed that he was not going to come back any time soon. Ever.

Knowing that I was probably just forcing my mind to make up comforting images again, I slowly, but completely, turned by body away, my back to the voice that had so worriedly spoken my name. Maybe if I didn't acknowledge the voice again, it would go away and I could go back to sulking. I should've known though, that my self confidence was took weak then and that trying to get rid of the voice was most likely useless and had no point.

"Kara? Dear, what's wrong?" the voice spoke again, a presence beginning to make itself known and attached to the voice.

I remained silent, no matter how much I wanted to wish that the voice was real and that the presence along with it was real too. When I didn't respond, the shadows within the room seemed to grow darker and loom over me even more, making worrying vibes run up and down my spine like lighting.  
The whooshing sound resumed, crossing the room until I was able to feel it right behind my back. Even with my ice related powers, I involuntarily shivered, getting nervous that now what I thought was just my mind was beginning to feel so real.

"Please Kara," the voice cooed. "Tell me what's wrong. I'm here for you."

Those simple words made me freeze completely. They hurt like a million knives, since they had normally come from my father, but now he was gone. No one had ever been able to utter those words and make me feel safe except him.  
Yet, just as the small feeling of sadness and pain came, it went. It was quickly replaced by roaring anger and rage. In a moment's notice, I was on my feet, shaking slightly, and growling at the voice that wasn't supposed to be there.

"How dare you say that to me!" I hissed, pointing my finger into the shadows.  
"But Kara-" I cut the voice off short.  
"Don't Kara me! You're not my father! He's gone!" I sobbed. "He's gone and he's not coming back! Not now, not ever!" I was beginning to scream again, no matter how much my voice told me not to.

There was a small silence between my short rant, until the voice began to speak again.

"Kara? What are you talking about? I'm right here. I'm-" I stopped them once again.  
"Don't lie to me! You're just in my head! You were never here in the first place!" I wailed, running to the other side of the room on wobbly feet.

I was only half way to the other side of the room, before I collapsed, tripping over my own feet and falling to my knees. It was obvious that I had cut my knees due to the fall, but the pain was all but numb to me at the time. The fact that my mind was being so cruel so as to make me see my father again, hurt me and I didn't know whether it was because it was trying to comfort me or just tell me that I'm insane. Either way, I knew that I wasn't going to last any longer as a spirit in this condition and soon someone would have to find a replacement for me. I didn't realize that I had been saying all of this out loud, but when a large hand placed itself on my shoulder, I heard myself gasp.

"Why would you say that Kara? I was always here. I never left," my father's voice echoed off the walls, reverberating inside my head.  
"N...neither d...did I. I...l...looked everywhere. I l...looked everywhere a...and you w...were never there," I sobbed, my voice cracking and breaking off every second I tried to speak.

The voice didn't speak to me again, but the hand on my shoulder never left. In fact, I could've sworn that the hand's grip tightened around my shoulder, like it was trying to convince me it was actually there. But I had learned to not be so easily fooled, even if it was only learned in the last day or two. I had learned that all things good must come to an end, even a sudden one. That once something is gone, chances of bringing it back a slim to nothing. But most of all, I learned that to love, unloved was the most painful thing imaginable.


End file.
